The invention described herein relates to the management of knowledge assets and more specifically to the acquisition, retention, management of knowledge assets for use in a variety of applications.
In the development of products or technologies which require significant engineering input, many companies will assign engineers or technologists to a particular task for a finite amount of time. A typical product or technology goes through three stages. The first stage is design and development. During this stage engineers and technologists design and then build a prototype. The second stage is testing. During this stage the prototype is tested to determine its performance and reliability. In the third stage, the product or technology is in its final form and is released to its final user to operate as it was designed. During all three stages problems in design or performance issues may be encountered which require that the engineers or technologists develop solutions.
In the past, when the engineers or technologists developed solutions to various design or performance problems, the solutions or other pertinent information may not have been recorded or memorialized is such a way that the information may be useful to those who do not have the same depth of knowledge in a particular area. For example, many engineers or technologists keep engineering lab notebooks which track design and development as well as the various problems encountered. These laboratory notebooks are usually just one person""s record of the design and development, written in the person""s own style, and noting only the things that he or she finds significant.
Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for recording and organizing knowledge assets acquired during the design, testing, and use of a product or technology.
Another object is to organize the knowledge assets in such a way that they are easily accessible.
The inventor has recognized that the knowledge created during the design, development, testing, and implementation of a product or technology may be useful to those who use the product and technology, or to others who encounter similar problems in related technologies. The inventor has disclosed a process and apparatus to acquire knowledge during a project life cycle and then store it in a fashion such that it is easily accessible. The information gained provides visibility into the design and development process, as well as ample feedback loops to ensure that the real world need is met by an implemented knowledge solution. The solution would mandate use of an intermediate, structured text-based representation that allows inexperienced users to specify knowledge at an appropriate level of detail, while offering opportunities to generate technology-specific implementations of knowledge forms. The data structure, being technology-dependent, offers both flexibility and new opportunities for knowledge reuse.
The system disclosed herein may be employed through use of a data network which provides a connection between at least one user interface and at least one memory storage device. This connection is established through a processor such as a network server. A memory device is also included which stores a vocabulary, or ontology, for use in creating specifications which describe problems to be solved, and implementation plans which describe the solutions. In one aspect of the invention, the system may also be implemented on a smaller scale, in a device such as a personal computer with sufficiently large memory.
In order to perform the process of identifying and storing knowledge assets, the input of a number of parties is required. The entire process is initiated by the creation of a specification that describes the knowledge asset to be represented. The information to be included in the specification may be dependent upon the types of information that make up the knowledge asset. The specification may be generated by an initiator who identifies the problem to be solved or by a knowledge steward working proactively to identify new knowledge for the system. After the concept is defined in sufficient detail, the specification may then be provided to the knowledge steward.
The knowledge steward then assesses whether the knowledge is new or whether it represents a useful change or extension to the existing knowledge base. This determination may be made through an automated search through the database for relevant terms. The criteria may also include scope of the knowledge where the knowledge steward judges whether the knowledge falls within the organization""s scope of responsibilities. For example, a procedure on how to adjust a chair might be useful, but its position with regard to the organization""s scope is debatable. If the knowledge asset is not otherwise identified in the database, the knowledge steward may then hand off the knowledge specification for implementation.
The implementor, using the specification, creates a plan for representing the knowledge in one or more of the technologies available. Upon completion, the plan is provided to both the initiator and the knowledge steward for review. The knowledge steward ensures that the implemented knowledge conforms to the specification. The initiator also ensures that the implemented knowledge satisfies the need in the real world. If the initiator is not satisfied with the outcome, specific problems are identified and brought to the attention of the knowledge steward and/or the implementor to resolve those problems.
In another aspect of the invention, the specification and implementation plans created by the parties are stored in the database. When creating either of these documents the parties may employ terms included in the vocabulary. Using common terms provides for easier searches of the database when the documents are created. When storing the specifications and implementation plans in the database a link is created between documents of common or similar technology. The links allow a party who is searching to find all specifications and implementation plans relevant to a particular technology.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a screen display is provided to a system user through the interface for creating the specifications and implementation plans. Various pulldown menus and designated areas are provided in the display for the entry and editing of information stored in the database.
Numerous modifications and additions will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon further consideration of the invention.